Caring
by LivingAtSomePointInTime
Summary: Blues reflects on those he cares about, and those who care about him.


Blues would not call himself a caring person. Though he might have been at one time, that time had passed, and he had long since left it behind in favor of cold rationality. It was illogical to care about people, as people died, thus creating heartbreak. Heartbreak hindered one's decisions, and caused one to be overtaken by emotion, losing all reason. He knew that if he didn't make every decision based on logic, it would likely cost him his life, which was already constantly growing ever closer to ending.

And yet... he'd still fallen victim to the thing people called 'caring,' unable to stop himself from feeling the need to protect certain people. Sure, there were few people he felt this way towards, but it was still more than he'd intended. His siblings were the main two, and he felt responsible for them in a way that he hadn't known he could feel.

He wanted to guide them, to help them grow as the Robot Masters they were. Light didn't teach them how to be robots; he raised them as if they were human children. Blues didn't agree with this, and took it upon himself to teach them how to connect with other robots, how to utilize their networking capabilities to the fullest extent. He connected with them, and shared his knowledge with them through an empathetic link. To them, he was kind, which was something he never thought he would be considered.

All he wanted was to keep his two siblings safe, even if he couldn't always be there. He would admit that he hadn't been the best brother, and Roll seemed to agree. But Rock... Rock thought the world of him. It was so strange, to be seen as someone to look up to, instead of an example of what not to be. Yet, it filled his core with warmth, somehow breaking past the cold persona he'd made for himself. When he was with Rock, he felt like maybe his existence mattered, and he could do some good.

Rock and Roll were the only people he ever expressed affection to, and even that was rare. He loved his siblings, but he was not an affectionate person, so he seldom felt the need to express it in a physical manner. When one of them was upset, though, he might hold them, or ruffle their hair comfortingly. This, of course, was only when Light was absent. He refused to interact with the man, and knew that if Light was there, he wasn't needed. The pair would go to their creator for comfort first, which was understandable in Blues' eyes. After all, he was usually away, and hadn't been there for them their whole lives as Light had.

He'd always been a loner, after all, and tended to push people away due to his limited lifespan. It would be better if no one got too attached.

However, there seemed to be one other person who cared about him. It still baffled the prototype that Shadow had somehow grown fond of him, especially after all the things he'd done that the ninja could be angry about. Perhaps Shadow had simply made peace with it, and decided to move on from such things.

Regardless, now Blues found that he had a frequent guest, as if Shadow was constantly making sure he was alive. It was understandable, considering he'd almost died in front of him several times, but the old Light-bot found it unnecessary and foolish. Why care if he died? It was inevitable, as the patches he'd given himself after the war in space were extremely temporary, and wouldn't hold for much longer. His body was dying, as he'd said in the space shuttle, and he had a short time left to live.

Yet Shadow kept coming back, watching him while cloaked in darkness. Blues never commented on it, though he could usually tell when he was being observed. These encounters were always silent, which would be unnerving if he cared for words, but as it stood, he didn't mind it. He was usually working on himself anyway, so there was no need for conversation.

Today was a different day. Blues was feeling particularly curious, and he'd finished his repairs, so he finally spoke up.

"Why do you keep watching me?" He said to his shadow, knowing that his stalker resided within. "You can come out. I know it's you."

There was a moment of hesitation, before the ninja emerged from the darkness, one eye studying Blues. His mask was covering half his face, so his expression was hard to decipher.

"...It is payment." Blues raised an eyebrow, a small gesture for Shadow to continue. He did. "I am indebted to you, so in return, I will do my best to keep you alive."

Ah. So that's what it was. Shadow was always a stickler about debts, and would do anything he deemed necessary to repay them. Apparently he thought that because he left Blues to die in space, he needed to work on keeping him alive now. It was somewhat logical, but utterly pointless. Blues was going to die soon, no matter what Shadow did. So why did he still try, when it would all be in vain?

"That is unnecessary. My time is limited, and I have accepted this. It will not change." The prototype's voice was matter-of-fact, his expression stoic. It was as if he'd been ready to die for a long time.

Shadow frowned, brow furrowing.

"Why do you insist that you cannot be saved? There are people that care about you, and would do anything to fix you, and yet you accept death so readily. I... don't understand."

The way the words were said made it sound like Shadow was one of those people, further confusing Blues. Why would he care? They weren't family, they weren't even really friends. So why...?

"I fail to see why it matters to you. My death will have no impact on you or any other Wily Numbers, and the only people that have any attachment to me are Rock and Roll. I know they will be sad, because their hearts are far too loving for their own good, but it cannot be avoided."

Blues was staring Shadow down, studying him. He seemed offended, which was illogical. What was there to be offended over? He only spoke the truth.

"You just don't get it," the ninja eventually said, closing his eye a moment and sighing. "I... care. I want you to live. You do not deserve a fate such as death, simply for existing. I feel you've been through enough pain to deserve something better, and I want to help you reach that. That's why I've been leaving you parts and supplies."

The First's eyes widened behind his shades. Shadow... he'd been the one leaving those things? They'd all been pieces or supplies he'd needed, and they likely helped him survive another day. The Third Law forced him to try to preserve his own existence, so he was constantly doing repairs on himself, despite knowing it would only delay the inevitable.

And Shadow knew how Blues didn't want anyone else repairing him, so he let him do it himself, and just brought the parts needed. It blew Blues away, and for once, he was speechless.

Shadow seemed to realize that he'd shocked the elder into silence, and he pulled his mask down so that his face was fully visible. Then he took a few cautious steps towards Blues, pausing when the other tensed.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured softly, taking a few more steps. Blues was extremely close to arming his buster and forcing Shadow to back away-he hated people in his personal space-but he held back, keeping his eyes trained on the ninja. It didn't seem that he was out to harm him, but he could never be certain.

Then he felt a hand running through his hair, and he paused, not having expected that. It was gentle, which was surprising, considering how strong Shadow was. Blues was confused, and decided to voice it.

"Why are you petting me?" This wasn't really said with aggravation, but Shadow cringed anyway. Still, he kept... doing whatever he was doing, and simply spoke.

"People care about you, Blues. I'm trying to get you to understand that." A sigh, and he pulled away, folding his arms across his chest. "You need to realize that your life is worth trying to preserve, Third Law or not. I understand that you do not wish to live, but I will oppose that as long as I am still functioning."

Blues was at a loss. He had no idea how to respond to that, to someone declaring that they'd keep him alive for as long as possible. It almost sounded threatening, but it wasn't. He thought for a moment, before shrugging. It was the best he could do.

"You're free to do as you wish, as I can't stop you. However, if I catch you trying to repair me, I will dismember you." This was said with a slight smirk, in an almost teasing manner. It was as close to joking as Blues would get.

Shadow actually chuckled, shaking his head.

"Then I just won't get caught."


End file.
